Fixing system and fastening element which can be used therefor

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a fixing system for electronic and/or electric components—called E components in short—such as chips, circuits, transponders, cables ( 10 ) etc., with at least one first fastening element ( 12 ) having individual closure parts ( 14, 16 ) which, in interaction with corresponding closure parts ( 22 ) of a further fastening element ( 20 ), form an adhesive closure which can be opened and closed repeatedly, wherein the respective E component can be connected to a support ( 30 ). Owing to the fact that the further fastening element ( 20 ) can be connected to the support ( 30 ), at least part of which has an adhesive layer and/or which is composed of an embedding compound, said adhesive layer or embedding compound producing the direct connection of the respective E component to the further fastening element ( 20 ) assignable to it, a solution is provided which requires only a very little amount of installation space.

The invention relates to a fixing system for electronic and/or electrical components, referred to as E-components for short, such as chips, circuits, transponders, cables, etc., with at least one first fastening element with individual closure parts, which in interaction with the corresponding closure parts of another fastening element form an adhesive closure which can be repeatedly opened and closed, and the respective E-component can be connected to a support. The invention furthermore relates to a fastening element which can be used for the fixing system.

EP 0813 277 A2 discloses a precabled lining part for the interior lining of a motor vehicle. The prior art lining part is made such that its precabling is facilitated and is accompanied by reduced cost, and the cable strand can be uninstalled in the easiest way possible. For this purpose, the lining part along the electrical cable strand to be mounted has a Kletten® velcro-type closure strip or Kletten® velcro-type closure strip sections which are spaced apart from one another for the cable strand and the electrical cable strand is provided with a jacket or collars which are located at a distance, made of the corresponding closure material—whether in the form of a hook or loop material—for forming a detachable adhesive closure connection with the Kletten® velcro-type strip or Kletten® velcro-type strip sections. Jacketing the cable strand with the indicated Kletten® velcro-type strip elements is accordingly time-consuming and therefore expensive.

WO 03/002377 A2 discloses a fixing system for use in motor vehicles with a vehicle housing, of which at least one part of the inside surface, such as in the form of the so-called headliner, is covered by a so-called cover plate of electrical or electronic articles, such as cables, elastic printed circuits, elastic flat cables or antivibration inserts, referred to as E-components for short, which are inserted between the cover plate and the housing, male interlocking parts being provided as the first fastening element, in particular in the form of closure hooks, which are assigned to the articles and/or the vehicle housing in order to enable their attachment to the plate. For this purpose, provision is made such that the cover plate on one of its sides comprises a looped fabric as corresponding closure parts of another fastening element with a base and with loops which project out of the base, and that this looped fabric covers essentially the entire surface of the cover plate, in order in this way to form an adhesive closure which can be repeatedly opened and closed and which makes it possible to detachably connect the indicated E-components to the vehicle housing parts, such as the headliner or the like, in a defined manner, and to fix them there.

In a development of the known solution, in a modified embodiment it is also possible to use an elastic flat cable with the respective support as the base, on which electrical circuits are applied, in particular by etching or printing, at least one of the surfaces of the support and preferably on each surface of the support a strip being attached, in particular cemented, from which the interlocking elements project as closure parts of the fastening elements used. The initially mentioned solution in some instances can only be mounted with difficulty and the second solution entails the risk of leading to a functional structure which projects far from the vehicle housing part due to the laminated multiple arrangement of closure parts; this might lead to problems with later attachment of covering parts such as a headliner.

On the basis of this prior art, the object of the invention is to further improve the known solutions such that a fixing system in addition to the fastening element is formed for electronic and/or electrical components, referred to as E-components for short, which requires less space, is reliable to use, and involves low production and installation costs. This object is achieved by a fixing system and a fastening element with the features of claim 1 and claim 11 in its entirety.

A solution, which requires only little installation space, results in that according to the characterizing part of claim 1, the other fastening element can be connected to the support which has at least in part a cement layer and/or consists of an embedding mass which produce the direct linkage of the respective E-component to the assignable respective other fastening element. In particular, a configuration is possible in which the E-components project with only a small protrusion from the corresponding closure parts so that, for example, with the fixing system according to the invention, the E-components can be fixed in part even without any projections on the vehicle housing parts such as the headliner or the like. Since the cement layer used and/or the embedding mass can be economically produced, the respective production costs for the entire system can be rated as low. Since, moreover, the respective E-component can be fixed on the cement layer and/or the embedding mass before the actual fixing process, in this respect the installation process is facilitated and, in particular, with the fixing system according to the invention, freedom in the routing of E-components can be largely achieved; this is a major factor, particularly when using cables or cable strands.

The fastening element as specified in the invention according to the configuration of features of claim 11 is used as an independent, installable unit for the fixing system according to the invention. The unit consists of a suitable closure part, preferably in the form of a flat adhesive closure material, with individual projecting closure elements which are used as supports for electronic and/or electrical components, referred to as E-components for short, the pertinent linkage being implemented by way of the corresponding cement layer or an embedding mass. A fastening element which is equipped with the respective E-component can be produced elsewhere and then kept “just in time” on the respective vehicle production line for immediate installation.

Other advantageous embodiments are the subject matter of the other dependent claims.

The fixing system according to the invention is detailed below using various embodiments as shown in the drawings. The drawings are schematic and not to scale.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of the fixing system in the opened position;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective plan view of the lower fastening element viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 1 with the fixed cable strand;

FIGS. 3 to 6 show a representation corresponding to FIG. 1 for the respective lower adhesive closure part as another fastening element.

FIG. 1 shows in a schematic one embodiment of the fixing system according to the invention for electronic and/or electrical components, referred to as E-components for short, such as chips, circuits, transponders, cables, etc. The fixing options are explained below using the installation of a flat ribbon cable 10 with two electrical line strands 11 routed therein. Instead of the flat ribbon cable 10, however, the other aforementioned E-components are possible (not shown). The fixing system has a first fastening element 12 with individual closure parts, whether in the form of interlocking loops 14, or in the form of interlocking elements 16 in hook form, or as shown, in so-called mushroom form. The indicated closure parts 14, 16 can occur mixed; but use of only one closure part is preferred. The first fastening element 12 can be fixed as a strip or flat element in this way, for example, adhesively on the vehicle housing parts or body parts. For this purpose the fastening element 12 with its top side 108, which is shown in FIG. 1, is adhesively fixed to the indicated housing parts, the use of the fixing system not necessarily being limited to motor vehicles, but likewise applications in the areas of rail transport, aviation or shipping being conceivable. The potential uses of the illustrated fixing system are almost unlimited in this respect. In one especially preferred embodiment, however, the fixing system according to the invention can be used in the so-called headliner region of a motor vehicle (not shown), in which the vehicle roof can be lined largely with the fastening element 12 from the interior of the vehicle. Before the actual headliner covering, that is, the interior vehicle roof, is put in place with its upholstery, it is necessary, relative to the requirements, to install E-component as outlined on the headliner to be invisible from the outside. The fixing system, which is still to be detailed, is especially preferably used for this purpose.

For support for the respective E-component, here in the form of the flat ribbon cable 10, this system has another fastening element 20 that is equipped with the corresponding closure parts 22 in so-called mushroom form on its top side. The respective closure parts 22 can be connected with a capacity to be repeatedly opened and closed to the interlocking loops 14 or the mushroom-shaped interlocking elements 16 with the formation of a conventional Kletten® velcro-type strip closure. Instead of the closure parts 22 which are made mushroom-like, loops (not shown) can also be used which then can be detachably joined to the interlocking elements 16 of the first fastening element 12 in this way. The bottom side 24 of the other fastening element 20 can then be joined to the preferably upholstered internal covering of the headliner in a fixed manner and when the adhesive closure is formed, then the actual headliner is detachably connected to the roof body parts of the vehicle.

Furthermore, there is a support 30 which in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 has a cement layer on both sides and in particular as a base support consists of a double-sided adhesive tape in order in this way to fix the flat ribbon cable 10 on the top side of the support 30 viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 1 and the adhesive bottom side is used to interlock the support 30 on the face surface of the mushroom head-like closure parts 22 of the other fastening element 20.

This arrangement has the advantage that the support 30 which is made as adhesive tape can be easily fixed to the other fastening element 20, but can also be removed again from there. Furthermore, the flat ribbon cable IO in the plane of the drawings can also be arranged to run in curves along the support 30 that is designed to follow the curve of the flat ribbon cable 10. As shown by the top view in FIG. 2, the adhesive tape as the support 30 can be designed and can run as a strip; but here the possibility also exists of a two-dimensional extension in order to be able to adhesively fix, for example, several E-components next to one another, such as flat ribbon cables 10. If the flat ribbon cable 10 should require additional ambient protection, for an embodiment, which is not detailed, it is also possible to hold the flat ribbon cable 10 between two layers on adhesive tapes as the supports 30. If then the two fastening elements 12, 20 are routed toward one another, viewed in the direction of looking at FIG. 1, the already described detachable Kletten(V velcro-type closure is implemented and the E-component is fixed accordingly.

The following embodiments are explained only to the extent that they differ essentially from the preceding first embodiment. In this respect, the aforementioned statements relating to the first embodiment also apply to the other embodiments. Furthermore, in the following embodiments the corresponding components of the fixing system are designated with the same reference numbers.

In the second embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, two other identical fastening elements 20 border one another with the formation of a definable distance. This distance is then bridged in turn by way of the adhesive tape as the support 30, which, in this embodiment, need be provided with the adhesive layer only on its top side. In this respect, the support 30 on its top side in turn bears the flat ribbon cable 10 and otherwise is connected adhesively to the bottom sides 24 of the other fastening elements 20 by engagement from underneath.

In the further third embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, the support 30 is now made as a type of cover mass which integrates the flat ribbon cable 10. This embedding mass is in turn adhesively connected to the other fastening element 20 which for this purpose provides for spacing which is free of the mushroom-like closure parts 22. In order to achieve good linkage of the other fastening element 20 to the illustrated first fastening element 12, the overall height of the embedding mass is preferably selected such that it ends, to the greatest extent possible, with the face-side top side of the closure parts 22 without any protrusions. The embedding mass can be made such that it bears a separate cement layer as a fixed bed on: its bottom side; in one preferred embodiment, however, the embedding mass itself is made adhesive as a whole.

In a supplementary embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, the support 30 is in turn an embedding mass which on its bottom side preferably integrally has other closure parts 26, which, made in correspondence to the mushroom-like closure parts 22 of the other fastening element 20, can detachably intermesh with their intermediate spaces. On the top side, the embedding mass in turn is provided with an adhesive or is self-adhesive in order to fix the flat ribbon cable 10 on the other fastening element 20.

The embodiment as shown in FIG. 6 illustrates a combination of the ribbon-like support 30 with an adhesive layer and a supporting embedding mass for the flat ribbon cable 10. According to the embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, the ribbon-like support 30 extends under the other adjacent fastening elements 20 and on its top side as the additional support 30 bears an embedding mass which in turn carries the flat ribbon cable 10 on its top side. Here the installation dimensions can also be chosen such that the flat ribbon cable 10 projects only with an optionally small amount of protrusion over the front faces of the closure heads. or is held even without a protrusion.

The aforementioned statements make it clear that with the fixing system according to the invention, a plurality of possible applications could be accommodated. For this reason, not all possible embodiments can be shown. Moreover, the aforementioned statements make it clear that in addition to the flat ribbon cable IO also other E-components which are not detailed can be fixed on the fastening elements in this way or that these cable lines combined with other corresponding E-components can be fixed in this way.

The illustrated fastening elements 12, 20 can be produced, for example, by means of a shaping process as is shown in DE 100 39 937 A1. The known process is used to produce an adhesive closure part as a fastening element with a plurality of interlocking means which are made symmetrical and which are connected integrally to a closure support as closure parts in the form of a stem part which is provided with a head part and in which a moldable material is supplied to the shaping zone between a pressure tool and a molding tool, and they are driven such that the closure support is formed in the shaping zone and is conveyed in one transport direction, and in which the shaping element on the molding tool is the mold cavities with the respective opposite boundary walls. Because, viewed at least on a longitudinal section of the respective mold cavity, the opposite boundary walls run continuously convexly, hyperboloid-like closure parts form with an extremely favorable closure characteristic with other closure parts for forming the adhesive closure. The peel strength values for the adhesive closure system can be further improved by the free head ends being made not round, but in the form of a polygon with n sides, for example, a hexagon (not shown), in contrast to FIG. 2.

The plastic materials which are to be processed and which are used for the fastening elements 12, 20 can be diverse, for example, in the form of polyamides or polyolefins, such as polypropylene or polyethylene (HDPL and LDPL). Furthermore, other thermoplastics are also used, such as polyester, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrenes, polycarbonates, polymethyl methacrylates, ethylene, vinyl acetate copolymers, including acrylate modified ethylenes, vinyl acetate polymers, and ethylene acrylic azide copolymers and polyethylene styrenes. Furthermore, the use of duroplastics is conceivable, as is the use of elastomers, such as naturally or synthetically producible styrene block copolymers with portions of isoprene, butadiene or ethylene (butylene) blocks. These elastomer materials are also especially well suited for forming the support 30 as an embedding mass, these elastomer materials also to some extent being referred to as so-called hotmelt materials or hotmelts in the technical terminology.

Furthermore, there is fundamentally the possibility of use for metallocene-catalyzed polyolefin for polyurethane or polydiorganosiloxanes. To stiffen the support material for the fastening elements 12, 20, ductile thermoplastics can also be used, such as nylon or polyvinyl chloride.

The aforementioned term “hotmelt” is a collective designation which includes both hotmelt adhesives and also so-called hotmelt coatings and sealing masses as well as embedding masses. The “hotmelts” used here for the support 30 are characterized in that at normal temperature they form solid viscoelastic or viscoplastic bodies, and in addition to the already described elastomers, resins, waxes, thermoplastics, optionally with the addition of fillers, antioxidants, lubricants and the like can be used, which when heated after passing through a thermoplastic region can become viscous or thin liquid melts. Hotmelt adhesives which can be used may also include those based on an acrylate.

FIGS. 1 to 6 in this respect also relate to the fastening element 20 for the fixing system which as an installable unit, in addition to an electronic and/or electrical component, referred to as E-component for short, has an adhesive layer and/or embedding mass which produces the linkage of the respective E-component to the fastening element 20. The unit, which is marketable in this way, can be stored on site, for example, in a vehicle production line for later installation, for example, in the region of the headliner. 

1. A fixing system for electronic and/or electrical components, referred to as E-components for short, such as chips, circuits, transponders, cables (10), etc., with at least one first fastening element (12) with individual closure parts (14, 16), which, in interaction with the corresponding closure parts (22) of another fastening element (20), form an adhesive closure which can be repeatedly opened and closed, and the respective E-component can be connected to a support (30), characterized in that the other fastening element (20) can be connected to the support (30) which has at least in part a cement layer and/or consists of an embedding mass which produce the direct linkage of the respective E-component to the assignable respective other fastening element (20).
 2. The fixing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the support (30) is preferably a double-sided adhesive tape.
 3. The fixing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the adhesive tape on its one side bears the E-component and on its other side is in face contact with the closure parts (22) of the respective other fastening element (20).
 4. The fixing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the adhesive tape on its side which bears the E-component is connected to the respective back of two adjacent fastening elements (20) of the other type which, set at a distance between themselves, border a channel for holding the E-component.
 5. The fixing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the embedding mass provided with at least one cement layer bears the E-component or the E-component is integrated at least partially in the embedding mass.
 6. The fixing system according to claim 5, characterized in that the embedding mass on its side facing the other fastening element (20) is preferably provided integrally with corresponding closure parts (26) to the closure parts (26) of the other fastening element (20).
 7. The fixing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective support (30) has at least partially a hotmelt or consists completely of a hotmelt.
 8. The fixing system according to claim 7, characterized in that the hotmelt for the adhesive tape is a hotmelt cement and a hotmelt mass is used as the embedding mass.
 9. The fixing system according to claim 8, characterized in that the hotmelt mass is formed from an uncrosslinked thermoplastic material, preferably in the form of a synthetic rubber material.
 10. The fixing system according to claims 1, characterized in that all the plastic materials used are recyclable.
 11. The fastening element for a fixing system according to claims 1, characterized in that as an installable unit, in addition to an electronic and/or electrical component, referred to as an E-component for short, it has a cement layer and/or an embedding mass which produces the linkage of the respective E-component to the fastening element (20). 